SSC Ultimate Aero TT set to smoke Bugatti's top speed record.

[Nethead]

GPS is accurate enough to steer a cruise missile to target the size of a skateboard in a crowded city.? I don't see why it wouldn't be accepted for tracking a car down a stretch of highway in Nevada.

sandertheshark:  And cruise missiles also missed a lot of targets in both Iraq wars...but that's a moot point.  Will the FIA or Guinness or whomever recognize a speed record based solely on GPS verification??  That's the real issue--and even then it would doubtless require that the GPS equipment be operated by some credible organization like the SCCA or CART.  Besides, has anyone verified that GPS is the equipment the UA TT folks were actually using to measure MPH on that closed-off section of Nevada highway? 

If the UA TT folks want recognition of whatever record they may set--assuming that they do, of course--then they had better have verification that their measurement methods will be accepted by those from whom they wish to receive acknowledgement and acceptance of their results...

[Tave]

If the UA TT folks want recognition of whatever record they may set--assuming that they do, of course--then they had better have verification that their measurement methods will be accepted by those from whom they wish to receive acknowledgement and acceptance of their results...

Accepted by whom? There's no governing body that controls this type of information. All UA TT wants is a press release that says their car is the fastest, so they can use that information to market their cars. They don't give a fuck whether some technician at Nardo thinks their record is "official" or not. All they care about is what they can tell their consumers.

Just because Nardo is a convenient location for European manufacturers to test top-speeds doesn't mean the rest of the world needs to make a pilgrimage there everytime they want to wring out a car. Independent observation and duplication is all that's needed to ensure the validity of the test.

[Nethead]

Accepted by whom? There's no governing body that controls this type of information. All UA TT wants is a press release that says their car is the fastest, so they can use that information to market their cars. They don't give a fuck whether some technician at Nardo thinks their record is "official" or not. All they care about is what they can tell their consumers.

Just because Nardo is a convenient location for European manufacturers to test top-speeds doesn't mean the rest of the world needs to make a pilgrimage there everytime they want to wring out a car. Independent observation and duplication is all that's needed to ensure the validity of the test.

It's not a matter of convenience--Nardo's unsurpassed instrumentation, professional staff, and rock solid integrity means no one has ever challenged records set at Nardo.  At Nardo, you have to SUSTAIN speeds to set a record, not just ATTAIN those speeds in a brief burst of speed on a straight track.  That's why Nardo was built as a 12.5 kilometer loop track.  Nardo's staff also verify that your vehicle meets production specs if it's going to attempt to set a production vehicle record--not something likely to be done on the side of a closed stretch of Nevada public highway, huh? 

But I don't want to drag this on and on--after all, no record has even been matched, much less broken.  There are a vast number of production cars that have never proven they could maintain 252 MPH.  In fact, as I type there has only been one...

[Nethead]

OK, what happened at the Ultimate Aero TT's second attempt at the sustained (not just attained) speed record of 252 MPH set by the Bugatti Veyron last year?

Did they set a new record?

Did they not set a new record?

Did they fail to show up?

At last report, the situation was like this:

Back to the Wind Tunnel: SSC Falls Short of Speed Record

Blame it on the weather. American supercar builder SSC fell 23 mph short of breaking the prouction-car speed record yesterday. The company's 1183-hp Ultimate Aero TT was clocked at 230 mph on a closed stretch of Nevada highway. The snafu was snow (damn you Nevada microclimates), which added a hint of treachery from mother nature. Driver Rick Doria made two passes, the first at 221 mph and on the second he said the off-the-mark reading came via 50% throttle. Expect another attempt within three months' time. ? Mike Spinelli

US supercar misses Veyron's record [Autocar]

At 230 MPH, this may be the world's fastest Ultimate Aero TT.  It is not, however, the world's fastest car.

[ChrisV]

Yeah, but 230 with snow? 

[SVT666]

Yeah, but 230 with snow??

[Nethead]

Yeah, but 230 with snow??

That's one haul-ass snowmobile!? But not the fastest production car on Earth.  Fast as 230 MPH is, I can think of five street cars that are faster: The Veyron, the Koenigsegg CCX, the Koenigsegg CCR, the Koenigsegg CCXR, the McLaren F1, and there are bound to be others in the Ferrari lineup and maybe in the Lamborghini lineup as well.? Mercedes?

[SVT666]

That's one haul-ass snowmobile!? But not the fastest production car on Earth (fast as 230 MPH is, I can think of five street cars that are faster: The Veyron, the Koenigsegg CCX, the Koenigsegg CCR, the Koenigsegg CCXR, the McLaren F1, and there are bound to be others in the Ferrari lineup and maybe in the Lamborghini lineup as well.? Mercedes?

No Lamborghini or Ferrari goes faster then 230 mph.  The Saleen S7 TT does however.

[nickdrinkwater]

The Nick Drinkwater here thinks that this car won't break the Veyron's record, and even if it does, it won't be as comfortable doing that speed.

[Nethead]

The Nick Drinkwater here thinks that this car won't break the Veyron's record, and even if it does, it won't be as comfortable doing that speed.

The Nethead here agrees with the Nick Drinkwater there.

[sandertheshark]

sandertheshark here hates it when people talk like Bob Dole.

[Raghavan]

That's one haul-ass snowmobile!  But not the fastest production car on Earth. Fast as 230 MPH is, I can think of five street cars that are faster: The Veyron, the Koenigsegg CCX, the Koenigsegg CCR, the Koenigsegg CCXR, the McLaren F1, and there are bound to be others in the Ferrari lineup and maybe in the Lamborghini lineup as well.  Mercedes?

Have any done it in the snow?

[nickdrinkwater]

The Nethead here agrees with the Nick Drinkwater there.

[sportyaccordy]

Cars that are fun and easy to drive >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> purpose driven  1000HP beasts

[sandertheshark]

Cars that are fun and easy to drive >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> purpose driven  1000HP beasts

Have you ever driven such a beast?

[Nethead]

sandertheshark here hates it when people talk like Bob Dole.

Bob Dole hates it when people talk like Bob Dole.

[Galaxy]

Accepted by whom? There's no governing body that controls this type of information. All UA TT wants is a press release that says their car is the fastest, so they can use that information to market their cars. They don't give a fuck whether some technician at Nardo thinks their record is "official" or not. All they care about is what they can tell their consumers.

Just because Nardo is a convenient location for European manufacturers to test top-speeds doesn't mean the rest of the world needs to make a pilgrimage there everytime they want to wring out a car. Independent observation and duplication is all that's needed to ensure the validity of the test.

The FIA is accepted as the authority on records. If they are not convinced, no one else is convinced.

You can find more info here. http://www.fia.com/resources/documents/250490067__Records_Appendix_D_a.pdf

[Galaxy]

GPS is accurate enough to steer a cruise missile to target the size of a skateboard in a crowded city. I don't see why it wouldn't be accepted for tracking a car down a stretch of highway in Nevada.

If it is indeed FIA certified then it has to be accurate to 1/1000 of a km/h. Correct me if I am wrong but GPS can't reach that unlike laser.

[Nethead]

If it is indeed FIA certified then it has to be accurate to 1/1000 of a km/h. Correct me if I am wrong but GPS can't reach that unlike laser.

Galaxy: Excellent clarification!  Thanks for providing us with the results of your efforts!